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Oh, I don't think they ever united the community. In fact, they killed downtowns (= city centers) with mom&pop stores and small retailers who could not keep up with the chain franchise big dogs. For a teenager, however, they were kinda like a dream come true. I'm sure you've seen the movie Mallrats.

What are bottle ships? (I know those model ships you build in a bottle... but what do they have to do with malls?)

Lol SHOPS... Typo!

Oh okay, ... hahaha ... like a drive-through liquor store! Yeah, they've got them in Texas. Makes perfect sense, combining alcohol and motorists' convenience!